# getty(8)

## NAME

         getty - system login banner

## SYNOPSIS

         getty [banner ...]

## DESCRIPTION

         Getty displays a system identification banner, reads  a  user  name  from
         standard input and executes login with that name as argument.

         Getty uses its arguments separated by spaces  as  a  login  banner.   The
         character  sequences \n, \s and \t are printed as newline, space and tab.
         Any other \x prints that x.  The character sequences %s, %n, etc. produce
         the same output as uname -s, uname -n, etc.  The default banner is

              %s\s\sRelease\s%r\sVersion\s%v\n\n%n\slogin:\s

         The only other useful functionality offered by getty is that  it  can  be
         suspended  by  signal  SIGUSR1  and  restarted by SIGUSR2.  This allows a
         program such as modem(1) to temporarily claim a dialin line for dialout.

## SEE ALSO

         modem(1), ttytab(5), init(8).

## BUGS

         Getty should be taught about modems and modem lines.  The signal trick is
         an awful hack.

## AUTHOR

         Kees J. Bot (kjb@cs.vu.nl)